86 and 88 Continue To Play At Elite Level
Nikita Kucherov scored twice and had five points as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on Monday night.
Brayden Point added a pair of goals and Steven Stamkos scored as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning improve to 45-11-4 (94-points on the season).
The victory extends the Lightning’s win streak to six games and its point streak to 10 straight.
Vasilevskiy and Kucherov Continue Torrid Stretch:
Andrei Vasilevski’s shutout streak was stopped at 184:04 marking the third-longest shutout streak by a goalie in franchise history. Only John Grahame (202:46 in 2005-06) and Vasilevskiy (184:49 in 2017-2018) were longer.
He set a new franchise record for longest shutout streak by the same Lightning goaltender in consecutive team games topping the old mark of 150:08 set by Johan Holmqvist from January 18 through 22, 2008.
Vasilevskiy improves to 26-7-4 on the season and 6-0-2 over his last eight starts.
Nikita Kucherov continues to play out of this world. His five point night (2 goals, 3 assist) marked the 13th time a Lightning players has recorded five or more points in a game in franchise history and the third time this season.
Kucherov also had a five point game (1-goal, 4-assists) on December 22nd at Edmonton and Brayden point (1-goal, 4-assists) on October 30 versus the New Jersey Devils.
Kucherov now has 99 points on the season and is one point away from matching his career high for single season scoring (100 points. in 2017-18) and from recording the fourth 100-point season in Lightning history. He would be the first Bolt to record multiple 100-point seasons in franchise history.
With the trio of assists he now has 70 on the season setting the franchise mark for assists in a season previously held Martin St. Louis (2010-11) and Brad Richards (2005-06) who each had 68.
Kucherov’s torrid pace is not being overlooked in the league. “There aren’t a lot of secrets in this league, and he’s been around long enough now his point totals increase every single year.” Jon Cooper said. “You see the way the players are out against him every single night. He’s always facing the best D. Kuch is on the map in this league, and now he’s separated himself as one of the elite players in the best league in the world and fun to watch.”
Up Next:
The Lightning will head to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers tonight at 7:00. They continue their road trip traveling to New York to take on the Sabres in Buffalo on Thursday at 7:30.
